Wow! Polenta has been gaining such rave culinary reviews these days! I'm amazed! Lowly Polenta, consisting of just water, salt, and cornmeal has been around since the 1700's - it's never seen such fame, popularity and gourmet status! (at least not in any Italian home I know.) Though, I have to admit, when I was growing up, it was not a favorite dish...but palettes do change as we get older, and today, I absolutely love it! If you've never tried polenta, do take the time and effort to make it - I think you will enjoy it! But, please stay away from the pre-cooked or instant polenta that is available today – I’ve heard you can even find Cup-O-Polenta and ready-made polenta that is squeezed from a tube! What a humiliation! Believe me, the best polenta is made using the traditional cooking method just like I do, and my mother does, and her mother did, and her mother did...and so on and so on...
And this is how YOU would do it:
Basic Polenta
7 cups water
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup butter
Some "must-haves" to be successful at making polenta are a whisk, a long handled wooden spoon - the "cucchiaio polenta" as my mother called it, and a strong arm for all the stirring.
Bring water, salt and pepper to a boil in a large pot.
Gradually add the cornmeal in a steady slow stream and begin stirring until evenly thickened. I like using a whisk for the initial stirring to keep lumps from forming. As the polenta thickens, reduce heat to low and continue stirring - I switch to a wooden spoon at this point – Keep stirring for about 30 minutes. The cornmeal will swell and soften as it absorbs the hot water, and the longer you stir, the softer and creamier the polenta becomes...but be careful!…there's a certain stage where the polenta starts sputtering and can actually spit out at you...and it is HOT! (while you are stirring, you can wear oven mitts for protection) You will know the polenta is ready when it becomes a soft, creamy, yet compact mass that will actually pull away cleanly from the side of your pot. Stir in butter.
I serve my polenta with a ragout sauce or simply with some melted butter and freshly grated Parmesan.
Polenta can also be fried, broiled or grilled. Spread polenta into a shallow pan; cool in the refrigerator until it becomes firm; cut into 1/2 inch slices.
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